Sean's Regrettable Habit

Pursuing my tradition of laying bare the intimate secrets of those most near and dear to me I have chosen as my subject for this week`s column my brother Sean and his Regrettable Habit.
Before you jump to rash conclusions I hasten to say that it is not the habit that pops perhaps most readily to mind. If it isn`t, though, it is all the same one that is just as socially unacceptable. I am referring to the regrettable even alarming habit of talking out loud to oneself.
My brother Sean does this. I have caught him at it many a time. I`ve asked him why he does it and he tells me that he has always found it helpful to "thrash things out aloud." He says it helps him to think and to come up with solutions to his problems. Some people might say that this habit is indicative of a larger, more serious problem. Be that as it may, Sean himself admits that he has had some embarrassing moments because of it.
Take for instance the time he ran afoul of Mr Cram his math teacher. They argued in class and naturally enough, in view of his authority, Mr Cram won the dispute. Some detention was handed out and Sean was not very happy about it. He was in the cloakroom after class unburdening his soul, shall we say, to the cloakroom wall when in walked Mr Cram with a red face and an angry frown.
"That little outburst just earned you another two hours of detention." barked the teacher "and I don`t want to hear another peep."
This illustrates the whole problem with expressing your thoughts aloud: there is always someone there who may hear them and assume the worst. And the more carried away you are by the thoughts that are troubling you the less likely you are to notice another person walking on the other side of the street or whatever. When you do become aware of them, Oh God, the embarrassment! And the wary look they give you is pretty bad too. A hole should open beneath your feet so that you can drop instantly from view.
Kinda sounds like the voice of experience talking, doesn`t it?
It must be a family trait.




The end.